This invention relates generally to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing and distributing moist, pre-sized powder-like materials that tend to agglomerate and adhere together onto articles or products passing on a conveyor beneath the dispensing apparatus.
Heretofore, various types of machines have been developed for dispensing not only substantially dry flowable materials, but also for dispensing and distributing moist, self-adhering and compactable materials. Examples of dry dispensing machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,070,264 and 3,788,529. An example of a moist dispensing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,128. All of these patents are owned by the same assignee as the present application.
Machines for dispensing dry materials are unreliable in dispensing moist or agglomerating materials because the moist materials tend to clog the machine hoppers. Additionally, the dispensing rolls within the machines tend to form a hollowed area in the material which prevents it from being picked up by the dispensing rolls.
Although stripping brushes have been used in such machines, as is disclosed in both the '264 and '529 patents, the brushes do not aid in displacing material in the hopper toward a dispenser roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,635, also assigned to the same assignee as the present application, discloses a machine for dispensing both dry and moist materials. However, because of the manner in which the material is separated by the grid plates of such machine, it is not possible to precisely control dispensing action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,128 discloses a machine that utilizes not only brushes, but also a particularly configured dispenser roll which is sometimes difficult to clean and is relatively expensive to manufacture. This machine is used for dispensing materials of a substantially large nugget size, such as streusel topping, which may have a percentage of fines and larger nuggets as well as other particles varying between these sizes.